Plural-faced insulating unit.



' lowing is a specification.

'UNITED BAN CROFT G. BRA INE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE BAIT-iJOINICQMJBANY,

OF NEW YORK, 11'. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PLURAL-FACED INSULATING UNIT.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed March 2.1, 1916., Serial m. semi.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known-that I, BANCROFT G. BRAINE, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plural- FacedInsulatingUnits, of which the fol This invention relates to insulationfor rail joints and has for its object a novel construction ofinsulating unit presenting a plurality of service members or faceswhereby a minimum amount of insulating material may be utilized toadvantage both electrically and mechanically.

It is well known that the insulating material of an insulated rail jointis subjected to the greatest wear under the head of the rail, so it is,therefore, a special object of the present invention to relieve thiscond1- tion and effect great economy in the use of insulating materialby so constructing the rail-head unit of insulation as to render theentire area of such unit available for service, thereby securing a muchgreater life for the insulation under the head of the rail, andconsequently providing the most economical conditions of maintenance andrenewal.

With these and other objects in view, which will more readily appear asthe details of the invention are better understood, the inventionconsists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

The invention is susceptible of structural modification, but a practicalembodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an insulated rail joint, includingtherein rail head insulating units constructed in accordance with thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the joint with the joint bar removed todisclose the novel insulating units.

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are similar fragmentary sectional views showing theimproved railhead insulating unit in the several different positionswhich it may occupy to successively bring the different unused portionsof the unit into service.

Like references designate corresponding parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

Patented June 5, 1917.

In carrying forward the invention the same is applicable to any style ofrail joint and toany form of rail-splice or joint bar having a headmember engaging beneath the head of the rail. So for the purpose ofillustration, there is shown in the drawings one form of insulated railjoint including the rails 1', the joint bars 2,- the insulated ointbolts 3, and suitable base insulation 4, for the base flanges of therails and the lower portions'of'the joint bars.

The rail-head insulation is the novel and distinctive feature of thepresent invention, and this rail-head insulation primarily consists ofwhat may be termed a plural-faced insulating unit, having severalservice mem- -bers 'or portions which may be successively over the headmember 5 of the bar in all positions of the insulating unit. By reasonof this channel formation of the insulating unit the same is providedwith a plurality of service members or portions 6, 7 and 8, all

preferably of uniform thickness and angu larly related.

It will be seen, in the construction de-v scribed, that the channeledoharacteristic of the insulating unit U permits the same to fit over theinner head projection of the joint bar as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of thedrawings, or over the top of the joint bar as shown in Fig; 5 of thedrawings, according to which service member or portion of the unit is.in operative position between the underside of the rail-head and theupper side of the joint bar. I

In further explanation of this phase of the invention it will beobserved by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings that when the servicemember or strip 6 of the insulating unit too is in use between therail-head and the barthe said service member 6- beoomes worn ordamaged'an entirely new lnsulatmg surface I or area may be brought intouse by simply reversing the unit so that the opposite servintermediatemember 7 of the insulation' may be moved into active positionbetween therail-head and the bar-head as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Thus, theimproved insulating unit possesses the capacity of such adjustment thatseparate portions or members thereof may be separately'brought intoposition between the rail-head and the barhead, thereby rendering theentire area of the insulation plate or sheet availableuntil the entireunit becomes worn out or destroyed:

From the construction and-many advantages of the herein describedimprovements will be fully understood without further description.

foregoing it is thought thatthe 1. An insulating unit for the head ofasplice bar consistin of an insulation channel plate having a p uralityof surface members.

.2. A rail-head insulating unit consisting of an insulation channelplate, every member of whichis formed to fit between a joint bar and theunderside of a rail-head. I

3. A rail head insulating unit consisting of an insulation channelplate.

4. In combination with the rail and the joint bar, of an insulatin unitconsisting of a channel fplate shiftab eupon and about the head 0 thejoint bar, and presenting a plurality of surface members.

5. A rail-head insulating unit consisting J of a three-way insulationplate.

In testimony whereofI have hereunto affixed my slgnature in the presenceof two witnesses.

' BANCROFT G. BRAIN E. Witnesses:

I K. KERsHNER, GA. DISBROW.

